


Destructive Love

by strangertofailure



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-01
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-13 00:20:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,961
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29767827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/strangertofailure/pseuds/strangertofailure
Summary: The reader is a warrior candidate who convinces Marley to let him go to Paradis with the original four, in hopes of looking out for Annie Leonhart, his first friend in the group. He does not gain a shifter ability until towards the end of the story. This will be a slow process of falling in love with Reiner Braun, and he will fall for Bertolt Hoover beforehand. Hope you enjoy <3
Relationships: Armin Arlert/Annie Leonhart, Bertolt Hoover/Annie Leonhart, Bertolt Hoover/Reader, Pieck Finger/Porco Galliard, Reiner Braun & Bertolt Hoover & Annie Leonhart, Reiner Braun & Reader, Reiner Braun/Original Male Character(s), Reiner Braun/Reader
Comments: 8
Kudos: 17





	1. The Warrior Candidates

**Author's Note:**

> This story will contain major spoilers, however, it'll also go off track from the original storyline eventually. The male reader is gay, and will only have brotherly relationships with any of the female characters. The male reader will have a short relationship with Bertolt, and will not get with Reiner for a little while, as I want to develop and dig into their relationship.

Walking through the Eldian ‘ghettos’ wasn’t fun. It wasn’t supposed to be. It was a place of heavy oppression. Nothing would change that. The streets are empty even on holidays. Now and then children would come out and play, but seeing a guard scares them back inside for weeks. You can’t blame them after everything they’ve witnessed from their windows late at night. It was a harsh world for Eldians.

The houses all sit in the same color on the dead and dreary street. You would expect it to look happier. The sun was shining overhead, only a couple of clouds in sight. It seemed like a perfect day. Birds singing sweet, sharp tunes. Though most were scared to come outside in the first place, people, or more than often, the men, had to work. It wasn’t like anyone would help them out. People had to earn their keep or starve.

The streets would probably get busier with people running careful errands that afternoon. It was ration day as well, so maybe a bit earlier. People liked to get there as early as they could. If they didn’t, there was a heavy chance of not getting anything, or getting spoiled and rotten food. The bread was always stale, but the further back in line you were, the less edible it became. The meat was scarce too. Dairy products are hard to get, usually costing extra just to get a good amount.

All of that wouldn’t matter to Y/N soon enough. He walked down the sidewalk quietly, right towards those guarded gates. His hand holding his slip of paper as he kept his hands tucked into his jacket pockets. He pulled it out once he got closer. He wouldn’t want to look suspicious, gripping something in his pockets and walking towards the guards. He stared at that paper, fingers twitching slightly as he let his eyes scan the words. This was his pass to slight freedom.

There was one escape for the Eldian children and young adults. A small, very unlikely one, though an option. Of course, it wasn’t a complete escape. They would still be under control, but they would be slightly less oppressed. A bit more freedom from random beatings and other forms of violence pushed on them. The Warrior Candidates. Candidates are chosen every once in a while to inherit one of the stronger titans. Though the decision seems completely random, it clearly isn’t.

And why do Eldians decide to do this? Why do they choose to be thrown into a war as a monster they don’t want to be? Well, that just depends on the person. Some are forced by their family to try, others want to take their family away from their suffering. And some just want freedom, just want the power. The picking isn’t random. The applications sent in, their appearance, it all matters in the long run.

For a child with no parents? Joining was all about having power. It might not be much, but power over anyone when your life had been under someone else’s control for so long sounded amazing. Maybe that’s what led Y/N to try and get chosen. Surprisingly enough, the young man was chosen. He hadn’t actually expected this. Plenty of the other people trying looked so much fitter, so much more qualified. But he had gotten the slip of paper delivered to him. He was chosen.

He knew he’d have to train until one of the titan spaces opened up and they decided who to give it to, but he didn’t mind. It got him out of the dingy place he was forced to call home. It was freedom. He would get to be seen as brave by some. And even gain some respect from his Marleyan superiors. What he really wanted to gain from this, however, was thoughts of his family being proud. They may have departed from the world, and he may never get to see them, bound to death by the curse of Ymir, but he didn’t care. He wanted them to know he hadn’t given up.

Seeing the other chosen candidates, however, almost made him just turn back. Or, the ones that lived in the area with other Eldians at least. He knew there were more than the ones present. It wasn’t hard to know their names either. Everyone knew just about everyone, especially if they were some of the only people brave enough to sit outside. 

Annie Leonhart, an intimidating girl, despite only being nine. Her father openly taught her self-defense, and everyone knew she was strong. Bertolt Hoover was tall, for his age at least. Not very intimidating, however, just a sweet kid. He was friends with one of the Eldian families that lived outside of the ghetto, often seen leaving to go visit him. Pieck Finger was the final one, and she was simply known for being the peaceful one. She liked to negotiate, and talk things out instead of resorting to violent behavior. 

Annie and Bertolt came off of the same street, while Pieck was already there, chatting with a guard. They all had their papers in their hands. It wasn’t that he was scared of them. Well, maybe Annie. She could probably snap his arm if she really wanted to. It was mostly because they all seemed like such good candidates. Their personalities seemed to compliment each other.

But, he continued his way to the gate and the guards, forking over his paper. When the other two got there, they did the same. After some time of the guard analyzing things, he let the group of four through. They walked quietly, none of them seemed in the mood to speak. Perhaps nervous. Y/N adjusted his armband as they walked to the place they were instructed to go. 

The other four candidates waited for them with their escorts. They were new faces, all strangers to Y/N. Bertolt seemed to know one of the blondes, however. It seemed that must be the friend he was always leaving to visit. They didn’t take long to get moving again, just a quick headcount and name check from the escorting man. They were led into a building just a few minutes away, led back to a small dingy room. A few chairs and crates were scattered around. 

Some of them started a conversation while they all found a seat, the door closing behind them. This was probably the most interaction most of them got if they were from the Eldian area. Having friends was pretty pointless because of guard brutality against some of the kids. So it was understandable when most of them clicked together as friends fairly easily. 

Y/N sat in his seat, crossing his legs and ducking his head down, staying silent as some of them talked. The only one completely silent besides him was Annie. But she had always seemed like the strong but silent type. He had just been taught that silence is the best option when you’re met with a new situation. Gives you time to survey your surroundings and any danger that may be possible. It also gives more time to listen in on things about the others.  
It didn’t take long for the group to get tired of that. Zeke cleared his throat, adjusting his glasses. “How about we do some introductions? It’ll be an icebreaker for all of us, instead of breaking off into small groups and talking to each other separately. After all, we’ll be working together soon enough. I can start.” Y/N peeked up from his lap. Zeke was a tall man, circle glasses with silver frames, and blonde hair. There were a lot of blondes in this group of people. He was well built, and Y/N had a hard time believing that he was new to the warrior program. 

“My name is Zeke Jaeger. I am sixteen, and I have been training for quite a few years to inherit the Beast Titan. We won’t be training long together. It is expected that I’ll receive the titan sometime next year. But I will still be watching over all of your progress. I hope we can all develop a close and trusting relationship.” His hair was nice, wavy, and blonde. Clean, almost shiny. Considering that he said he had been training for years, he probably came from a privileged Eldian family.

His eyes were nice. A grey-blue color, with the shine of intelligence in them. He had a small stubble on his chin. Seemingly growing a beard. Overall, he looked like a perfect example of a person, of a warrior. The way he talked was gentle, but also professional. With the way he spoke, it was more than likely that he’d become like an older brother to everyone here.

One of them raised a hand. His hair was dark brown and he sat up straight. He looked a little stuck up, maybe mean. Y/N expected him to be rude, however, when he started talking, he didn’t seem horrible. More so just assertive of who he was. “I’m Marcel Galliard. I’m twelve years old and I’m going to become the next jaw titan. It’s my right after all, and I’m willing to put in the hard work. Porco is my younger brother. He’s going to be training right next to me.”

Porco’s hair was a lighter brown color, almost a dirty blond. He looked like a haughty kid, and when he started speaking, it was obvious he wasn’t going to get along well with Y/N. “You hear ‘em! I’m Porco Galliard, ten years old but I could take any of you in a fight. Except maybe Zeke. I’m sure I could do it. I will inherit a titan just like my brother. Probably the Armoured Titan, but I’m not picky.” Y/N had to keep himself from laughing. Porco didn’t look like much, and he seemed to underestimate everyone in the room. 

Annie could probably take down anyone in the room. There was no doubt she could easily overpower Porco. He’d have to see that someday. If he was going to talk big, the least he could do was try and keep that promise and actually take them all on. Y/N would bet money on him losing to all of them.

The boy that Bertolt had gone to when they first arrived raised his hand, signaling his turn next. He cleared his throat. He could be compared to Zeke when it came to hair color. They looked like they could be related. More than Porco and Marcel. “I’m Reiner Braun. I’m ten, but I’ll be eleven soon enough! I’m really hoping to inherit a titan and bring my family lots of pride in me. So, I won’t hold back! I’m going to compete to inherit a titan, just like all of you.” 

Y/N watched him as he spoke. The younger looked so enthused by the idea. He seemed to have something to prove to that family of his. Sad that some of the kids from Eldian descent felt they had to put their lives on the line to be seen. His eyes were a hazel color. It looked nice, though they had an almost saddened look in them, opposing the look on Reiner’s face.

Y/N was pulled away from his thoughts by a sharp elbow prodding his side. His eyebrows furrowed and he looked over at Annie. Her nose was different from most peoples’. It was the only thing Y/N took note of when he had first met her. Her blond hair was held back in a messy bun, those side pieces hanging down and framing her face. She was pretty for a nine-year-old. 

“I’m Annie Leonhart. I’m nine, and I will become a titan shifter.” She spoke so bluntly as if she just wanted to get it over with as if it were pointless. He wondered what went through her head to make her so cold on the outside. He also wondered why she had nudged him so hard. It still stung a bit, and she hadn’t even given a reason. He brushed it off though, rubbing his side for a moment, looking to the next person.

Raising her hand next was Pieck. She still had the dreamy, sleepy expression on her face. It was cute in a way, but it also made her look like she needed a nap. Hopefully, she would be more productive than she looked. Her voice was sweet, soft, but loud enough to hear. It was peaceful to listen to. Her hair was messy but it looked almost nice, down around her face and shoulders. It matched her carefree attitude fairly well.

“I’m Pieck Fingers. Yes, fingers, like the things on your hand. I’m fourteen, So compared to all of you I’m much older. Zeke is way older than me though. It’s nice you all are close in age though, you’ll get along way better. I just think whoever is the best should get the next available titan shifting ability. So let’s all be fair to each other and do our best.” 

And then there was one more. Bertolt seemed a bit anxious to introduce himself, but Reiner set a hand gently on his shoulder, as if in reassurance to the timid boy. Bertolt was actually pretty plain-looking with his brown hair and eyes. He was taller than the others his age though. 

“I’m Bertolt... Um, Hoover, Bertolt Hoover, and I’m ten. I’m trying for the same thing you guys are, but I’m not going to look at it as a contest. Just an opportunity. I want to help you guys and become friends. Even if one of us gets picked to be a shifter instead of another.” He was kind it seemed, trying to be sweet and offering his help, making sure they all knew he was there for them. It was important to have one of those types of people. Usually, they were the weakest link, building you up until you’re above them and they don’t even realize.

Y/N received another nudge in the side by that strong, bland blonde. He gripped her elbow in his hand, sitting up straight from his slumped position, glaring at the young girl, who in return gave him a bored look. “It’s your turn to speak. You can do that can’t you? Instead of staring at everyone as if you’re studying your prey.”

He rolled his eyes and pushed her elbow away, moving his hands onto his knees. “My name is Y/N. I’m twelve, just recently. I’m joining because I don’t have anything better to do and no one to lose. But I’d rather die like a badass titan in thirteen years instead of dying in a random trench.” He offered a small half-smile until he realized a few of the other boys were staring at him as if he were crazy. Specifically, Reiner, Marcel, and Porco. “What? Did I say something wrong? You three are staring at me weirdly. It’s really intense and I suggest you speak up.”

And speak Reiner did, loud and proud about his principles, unshared by Y/N. “You should be doing this for Marley, not for yourself! It’s all for bringing glory to our land and our families. What you’re saying is just selfish!” Reiner Braun seems he’s an annoying patriot. Y/N crossed his legs and shrugged, causing Reiner’s eyes to widen even more. “How could you-”

“Calm down Reiner. Your voice is getting a bit too loud. You wouldn’t want to lose your chance at training, would you?” Zeke set a hand on the smaller boy’s shoulder, offering a reassuring smile. Reiner reluctantly nodded. “As for you, Y/N was it? If you’re going to speak like that, the least you could do is decide if you have the right audience.”

“I was just introducing myself the same way all of you did. What am I supposed to say? In return for my family being hanged and beaten to death, I will proudly defend the Marley government and bring pride to the empire that executed my family and forced me to live alone at the age of seven? That just sounds fake. And I never said I wasn’t going to defend Marley. Just said that if I’m going too, I want to be more useful than the Eldians that are sent to dig trenches and die.” He shook his head. 

“If you guys aren’t the right audience, then I suppose there is no reason for these introductions. We just have to know each other’s fighting styles. Getting to know each other any further than that is pointless. Because we don’t all have the same morals, and obviously it’s going to cause some disputes.” He shot Reiner a small glare

“Let’s not fight.. We want to make a good impression. Any of us could be replaced if we cause issues.” Bertolt said, his voice quiet as if scared to speak up. Zeke and Pieck agreed with him, while Porco glared and Marcel looked annoyed. Reiner was also glaring, which made sense considering he started the nonsense defensive attitude in the first place. Annie seemed like she could care less. The room stayed tense for most of their waiting period, though Zeke easily started a conversation with the calm ravenette.

Y/N was impatient, unable to sit still. He constantly adjusted in his spot. He was starting to feel anxious. He just wanted to get out of this room. He had already looked over everything, and now there was nothing to do. Or so he thought. Annie flicked his shoulder. Better than a sharp elbow to the side at least. He looked over and raised an eyebrow slightly, only to have her dangle a deck of cards in front of his face. 

“You seem antsy. We could play while we wait, so you don’t focus on whatever is making you anxious.” She shrugged and got the cards out, getting up while shuffling them in her hands. She found an empty crate and pulled it between their chairs, crisscrossing her legs and dealing out the cards. She wasn’t as bad as the others. Maybe a little rough around the edges, but she seemed to have good intentions. A kind heart under a rough exterior. He took the cards and listened as she explained the rules. And then, they played.

He wasn’t sure how much time went by, but he and Annie didn’t have a terrible time. They eventually started talking, moving further away from the rest so that it could be just them bonding. It was nice, and even Annie cracked a few small smiles as they joked and wasted time. A friend found in less than two hours. Y/N was almost disappointed when a door opened and a man stood there, calling their names. A role call. Once they all were accounted for, they were asked to line up, oldest to youngest, and then follow the male.

They walked down a dimly lit, narrow hall, taking a few turns before another door was shown. Light peaked through small cracks in the door. It seemed they would be headed outside. That’d be nice, maybe they’ll jump right into training.

When the door opened, they were met with another room. It had doors in it as well, though it seemed to be an office. The light had been coming from large windows behind the desk. They were ushered in, taking a seat in front of the desk, while the man walked around and sat in his chair.

“The wait was long, but now you all can begin your journey to becoming warriors for Marley. First things first, examination for physical health. We don’t need any of you dropping dead from disease or something. Especially don’t need you spreading it to other, more important people.” He tapped the desk with his finger for a moment. “When the nurse gets here, you’ll be taken behind the curtain in the corner. She’ll have you undress for her and check everything that needs to be checked.”

Y/N made a small face, looking down to his hands that rested in his lap. Undressing in front of a woman, behind a curtain that would still show his silhouette didn’t seem like something he would want to do. He understood the need of course, but that doesn’t mean he has to like it. One of the doors received a knock and the man called for the person to come in, lighting a cigar. The nurse came in with her small tray of examination tools and took Zeke back first.

Being the third oldest meant Y/N was third in line. It was an uncomfortable situation, even if the nurse had done nothing wrong. She did her job and gave him a warm smile at the end of it. He seemed to be in perfect health, though she suggested gaining more weight. It’d help with energy in her explanation. He thanked her and sat back in the room, keeping slouched in his chair to avoid the smoke being produced. Damned Marleyians can’t even take their smoke outside. No one had anything wrong with them, though she did come around and give all of the warrior candidates a shot. Meant to boost their immune system. 

They were ushered off again. A brief run-through of their schedules was given to them. They were expected to remember it. They were all the same, aside from their schooling times. First, the nine-year-old Annie and all the ten-year-old boys would learn together, While Marcel, Pieck, and Y/N had lunch. Zeke would have a break at this time, a chance to freshen up or nap if he chose to. Then the youngsters got their break, and Marcel, Pieck, and Y/N got their schooling. Zeke would be allowed to eat lunch at this time. And finally, Zeke does his schooling, the younger warriors get their lunch, the young teen and preteens get their break. Then they all joined together for an hour jog.

Most of the schedule surrounded exercise. Which made sense, considering their future jobs. They woke up early and did an hour of stretching, thirty minutes of breathing exercises, and a thirty-minute run. Then they got to go shower and get dressed, giving all of them an hour to do so. They’d either have to take extremely quick showers, or share, as there were only three showering rooms for their use. After they did that, they’d clean the room and bathroom. Only after that was done and examined would they get their breakfast. A harsh start to the morning. But, a good one nonetheless. 

As they were taken to their room, the guard explained how things were set up. The girls would take the bunk beds in the corner, provided with a barrier for when they need to change. They all got a drawer from the two dressers supplied. Besides Annie and Pieck, they were expected to match up. It was suggested that they go to sleep as soon as their things were delivered and put away. But for the time being, they were left alone. Marcel and Porco paired up as bunkmates, as did Reiner and Bertolt. That left Zeke and Y/N. 

“You can have whichever bed you want. I don’t think it matters much. Unless you’re a bed wetter. Then you should be sleeping on the bottom bunk, that way the piss doesn’t seep through the mattress and drip onto me. That’d be disgusting and I’d prefer not to experience it. Oh, and if you roll off the side. I don’t want to wake up to a child with a broken arm.” 

“I’ll take the top bunk then.” He mumbled, seeing Annie pull herself up to the top bunk and make sure the bed up there was neat. That influenced his decision slightly. They were on the same wall of the room, so they could talk quietly if they wanted to. They could probably even go over to each other’s beds with little noise if they wanted to also. That’s just how close the beds were to each other. A barrier wouldn’t do much good if Y/N was a pervert. But he wasn’t, so the two girls didn’t have much to worry about. 

A small round table was supplied in the middle of the room for all of them to sit, supposedly have their breakfast and dinner as well. Marcel and Porco sat on their bottom bunk, talking to each other about their day. Reiner and Bertolt were talking about that as well, but mostly about their future as warrior candidates. Zeke had pulled a book out of his inner coat pocket, laid back on his bed, and reading intently. Pieck was sleeping, which was surprising considering the chatter going on around her. Or maybe she was faking?

Annie held up the cards after snapping her fingers to get Y/N’s attention. He had been checking his sheets, making sure there weren’t any bugs or stains that would be hard to sleep on. He looked over at her and shrugged, pointing to the table and raising an eyebrow. The blonde-haired girl nodded and got down from her bed, taking a seat at the table. Y/N followed her lead soon enough, sitting across from her and starting their game. They played a few rounds and talked until their bags got dropped into their room. 

They all got them passed to the correct owner, and folded their clothes, putting them neatly in their drawers, two at a time to avoid anyone hitting each other by accident. Any other items they had brought with them got tucked into the drawer with the clothing, or else it would have to stay in the bags and get taken away. Y/N put his hygiene products away with his clothes, but that was just about all he had. A small sack of coins that he had earned over the years, but nothing more.

The only clothes left out were the ones they were meant to sleep in. The girl’s closed the barrier around the bed and got dressed. Changing around people, especially this group, left Y/N feeling agitated. He wished they had more privacy. But, he just got it over with, changing clothes quickly. He was the first of the boys done, quickly crawling into bed and covering his face with the blankets. He pretended to fall asleep right then. If he hadn’t, Zeke would have confronted him about the behavior. He’d probably do that tomorrow. 

The lights shut off once most were in bed. Zeke made sure everyone was comfortable and tucked in. Like Y/N had guessed, he acted like a caring older brother. The light chatter started, but not long after it quieted down, and breathing evened out as people fell asleep. Y/N couldn’t fall asleep that easily. He was up for hours that night, thinking about the training they would do, and thinking about what all of them would eventually become.

Titan shifters in a war against many places. Including a small island called Paradis. Y/N had mixed thoughts on that island. He had heard the stories since he was young. It wasn’t hard when so many people liked to retell it. But once he was home, tucked into bed, his father would tell him a different version. A version where Marley was the bad guy who forced their country to suffer, dragging others down into despair with it.

According to his father, Paradis was filled with innocent people that hadn’t killed anyone for years. They didn’t have any reason to, secluded on the island with titans attacking and ruining their lives now and then. Y/N wondered if his father had ever been to Paradis. It was highly unlikely. But he spoke of their innocence so passionately, talked about how peace was possible and that they were level-headed people.

It was too bad that people heard him talking about it. Y/N blamed himself for that. He shouldn’t have asked about it until they were in the safety of their home. SHouldn’t have asked his father about the innocent devils. Shouldn’t have asked if they could do anything to help them. He sighed and closed his eyes tight, curling up before laying on his back, watching the ceiling.

Enough of thinking about that. He needed to think about the future. Think about how to stay alive. How to look out for no one but himself. He didn’t have time to dwindle on his life in the path. His father would want him to continue forward, to pave a path he’d be proud of. He’d make him proud no matter what. Even if they never met again, he just wanted him to know he had tried for him. Tried for his mom. Tried for his older sister. Everything was for them. For him. His eyes fell shut and he drifted into a dreamless sleep.


	2. First Day in the Program

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first half of the day. A few bits of interaction between the Warrior Candidates.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Characters shower together, but please do not make this sexual or a shipping thing, as most of the characters are ten at this time, the youngest being 9! Y/N is only twelve as well. This is just simply a time management thing for them as they train to be apart of the military.

The next morning, the sound of metal banging against something else woke Y/N. It was startling. He sat straight up, glancing around the room. The only light came from a candle sitting in the middle of that circular table. When his eyes adjusted, Annie and Zeke were noticeable, banging on some kind of metal object.

He wondered where they had found those. Perhaps they were in the room and those two had found them. They both had their boots on and tied, seemingly having gotten an early start to the morning. Y/N groaned and laid back down, shoving his face into his pillow and pulling his blanket tighter. Waking up was one of the hardest things. Especially when the blanket felt heavy and warm, while the air in the room felt bitter and cold.

He wasn’t the only one that didn’t want to get up. Grumbled voices came from almost all of them, besides Bertolt, who pushed himself out of bed and stretched out, grabbing his boots. Reluctantly, Y/N also pulled himself from bed, stretching his arms and letting out a long yawn. None of the three with their shoes on had changed their clothing.

They weren’t supposed to either, as they wouldn’t shower until after they were done with their two hour morning exercise. That’s about all Y/N remembered about the schedule. He planned to just follow Marcel and Pieck. He knew he had to do school, break, and lunch with them, so it would make sense that they had more to do together as well. Perhaps they’d do everything in a group. He’d find out as the day progressed. 

The outfit itself wasn’t bad. The pants were close fitting, like leggings but thicker. They were a plain grey color, and the material was soft. The shirts on the other hand were a bit more flowing. Not baggy, but not clinging to their frames. It wasn’t soft either, a bit scratchy in all honesty. Their shirts were black, probably to avoid too many stains working up on them. 

The final item would be their socks. They were smooth, soft in a way, and stopped just above their ankles. They matched the pant’s color. For the candidates, this wasn’t a bad outfit to sleep in, or do a morning routine in. It was probably better than most of them were used too. Though, they may be a bit chilly in the morning. Their workout would help them stay warm, hopefully.

Pieck hunkered down in the blankets while the others reluctantly got out of bed. Reiner and Porco seemed to shake off their tiredness sooner rather than later. They both seemed ready to start the day, quickly pulling on the brown boots all of them were provided. Marcel spent a few minutes rolling around in his bed while he stretched and yawned loudly.

Y/N rubbed any tiredness he might still have from his eyes with the side of his fist. He got his boots pulled on, carefully lacing them up and double knotting them. Annie made her way over to Pieck’s bed as the other nestled into the sheets. The dark haired girl was trying to go back to sleep, but Annie didn’t seem like she wanted that to happen.

The blonde girl pulled Pieck gently out of bed by the shoulder. It was gentle, but it just showed Annie’s strength. She walked Pieck over to the table and let her sit, retrieving a pair of boots for her and helping the still sleepy girl put them on. “Honestly, you act as if you weren’t the first one asleep. If you’re so tired, you’ll have a hard time adjusting to this schedule.”

Zeke made sure they all had their armbands on right, adjusting his own, making sure it was neat on his smoothed out night clothes. “Don’t scold her too much Annie. We can help make sure she wakes up each morning. It’ll just take a while to find the best way to get her to wake up on her own.” He commented, sitting down and snapping his fingers in front of Pieck so that she would stop nodding off.

Marcel was helping his brother out with his shoes, Bertolt and Reiner talking about a dream Reiner had that night while sitting on Reiner’s bed. The door opened just as Marcel tied Porco’s final knot. The man from the day before stood in the doorway, already dressed and ready, holding a lantern in his hand. 

He seemed taken off guard that they were actually awake. However, he quickly snapped out of that. “Good morning Warrior candidates. It’s your first day of training, and it only gets harder from now on. You’ll address me as commander. Now then, let me make sure you’re all in here..” 

He held a clipboard, reading down the paper, mouthing their names quietly to himself, glancing up every now and then. He cleared his throat a few minutes after, putting the clipboard back to his side. “Alright, good, none of you tried to back out. Single file line, follow me outside so we can get started.”

They left the room, the only small argument being when Porco elbowed Reiner out of his way to get out first. That didn’t become anything verbal, just a small thing of elbowing and some kicking. Marcel pulled his brother away before it could get any further than that. He put himself between Reiner and Porco, just to make sure it didn’t start up again. Seemed they had a small rivalry on day one.

Once they made it down the halls, they were let outside into a large yard behind the base they were being kept in. “Keep that file line and just line up right by the wall.” The commander instructed them, standing in front of the group and waiting for them to stop moving and stand still. He wasn’t displeased, as the group seemed obedient to his orders for the most part.

“Each morning, you will be expected to come out here on your own, in a file, just like today. I will meet you out here. If I’m out here before you, you’re late and will be punished accordingly. I expect a salute until role call is over. I’m sure you all know how to salute. Your right hand raised.” He demonstrated and the candidates followed his lead.

Once he was satisfied with how long they held the salute, he gave a small nod. “Good, good. Now, you all can spread out and get to work. I’ll demonstrate the stretches when we switch, but you’ll be expected to not need them demonstrated after this.” He got started, the group beginning with simple stretches.

Y/N and Annie were close enough to speak, so he took the chance to talk more. She had been nice yesterday, so he assumed it wouldn’t be too hard to secure the friendship. “You were up when Zeke was, so either you slept well, or you didn’t sleep at all. How was your first night?”

She looked at him, an eyebrow raised and eyes narrowed. The reaction was odd. He was being nice, so he didn’t understand what was wrong this time. She rolled her eyes, switching the stretch when instructed. Y/N followed her lead, not paying attention to the commander, in case he missed something she did. Body language was important when it came to communication.

“I don’t see why you’re asking that. It isn’t really any of your business. And you have no reason to ask it. Just because we played cards together a few times, doesn’t mean we’re friends. You still don’t have my trust, no matter how nice you seem.” Y/N looked down for a moment, thinking to himself. She was guarded, so of course she wouldn’t call them friends yet.

Being like that was probably how she was taught to survive. It wasn’t a horrible thing either, in the long run it could one day keep her safe. She was nice, but she wasn’t going to let anyone take advantage of that kindness. It was an admirable trait, being able to protect herself from any possible manipulation. 

“I’ll just have to gain that trust then, now won’t I? It’s important to trust each other, and I hope we learn to do so before we’re in any battles. If we can’t trust each other and work together as friends, how are we going to trust each other in the heat of battle?” She flattered for a moment, before giving a small shrug. 

“You can work for it. I don’t hold too much hope though. You seem like the type to take advantage of things, especially emotions. Just the way you speak. You also watch people like a creep, as if you’re trying to read between the lines whenever they speak. But, prove me wrong and one day I can call you my friend.”

“You’ll be friends with all of us before you know it Annie. I think that feelings of friendship will motivate us all to work harder, and keep each other safe. Give each other a reason to keep fighting when it seems pointless. Bonds are important, and they’ll always happen no matter how stubborn you are about it.” Pieck chimed in. Y/N didn’t mind. It wasn’t her conversation, but she was adding good points.

“Zeke and I have talked a lot already, being the two oldest. We already get along well, and I decide to call him a friend. I would trust what he says, he seems like an honest person. I like to follow my gut on these types of things and let my mind choose it’s path the further I get to know a person. I want to be able to do the same thing with all of the other candidates. It’s nothing to be scared about.” 

Porco scoffed at her words. “I don’t think anyone is scared of friendship Pieck. I think they just prefer not to be held back by some feelings. Come back down from the clouds, maybe then you’d be taken seriously. You don’t need to be friends to trust someone on the battlefield. If you’re just going to be an easy going girl in dream land being friendly with everyone, you shouldn’t be a warrior. Whether you like it or not, this is a big competition to become something special. Your friendship will be destroyed when one of you isn't chosen.” 

Y/N ignored his words. He was acting as if he knew how all of them would react in the end. “Let’s talk about this later when we won’t get interrupted by Porco.” He grumbled, focusing on stretching instead of the words of the cocky boy. He hoped Porco would grow out of that attitude, because it would get annoying pretty fast. 

Porco could be putting up a front, just like Annie. Acting high and mighty so he wouldn’t get attached to anyone in the group. Or perhaps he really was an arrogant little kid. Was he even mature enough to be here, training like this? Annie was younger and acted better than he did. Y/N let out a sigh. He’d get to Porco, just like he’d get to Annie.

Soon enough, they were doing a few breathing exercises. Y/N didn’t see the significance in doing so, but he wasn’t about to complain. They had to stay quiet, and that gave him some time with his thoughts, despite the explaining of each exercise they would be doing and the cues to change the exercise.

He thought about his decision to join. He wasn’t regretting it. Not yet at least. So far, the hardest thing seemed to be getting used to the schedule. No one was particularly insufferable yet. And he knew his opinion on people in the group would change over time. He still had years to get to know them. Or, he hoped. He knew Zeke would be a titan shifter sooner than the rest.

Y/N would work hard. He knew he would, because he needed this. He needed to know that he had done something of his own accord. He wasn’t being forced, but he still did it, because it made him proud of himself. It gave him a purpose. Everyone needed a purpose, whether they knew it or not.

He just hoped this would be the right one. He wouldn’t let himself regret anything. A small promise he made to himself. No matter what he did, no matter how much he changed, he wouldn’t regret it. He’d either fix himself, or continue with his flaws, and he’d be proud of it all.

He wondered if he would actually feel free once he got a titan power. He would have to deal with the war, still follow orders. But he would always have the chance to snap. If he got a good enough titan, he could just threaten them with shifting. He was thinking about getting the Colossal. That would be a lot of power for him. Though, there was a pattern in personality for the ones that usually inherited that titan.

The Armoured titan was strong, and could break through things. He could be a human wrecking ball, while being immune to normal bullets. Though, his speed wouldn’t be the best, and he’d have to worry about anti-titan weapons. The jaw titan was fast, had a strong bite. The cart titan wasn’t bad either, though he’d have no chance of rebelling if he got that titan. He wouldn’t rebel either way, but it was just a thought.

The breathing exercises flew by with all of his thoughts going through his head. He was snapped from his thoughts when the commander started shouting. “It’s time for your running! You’ll start off with a jog! I’ll then tell you to slow to a walk! After a while, that’ll increase to a jog again, and end with a sprint! Do your best!” 

While jogging, they all stayed relatively close. Zeke, Annie, and Bertolt were slightly ahead. Y/N decided to stay between Pieck and Marcel. Pieck didn’t seem too worried about moving extremely fast. She seemed to be holding back, almost as if lazily keeping pace with the four boys. When the whistle blew, they slowed to a walk. The three that had been ahead slowed enough for the group to rejoin together. 

“You know, the commander is watching pretty close.” Marcel commented as they walked. “I think that we may be scored with this. It could be a big influence on how we proceed, so why don’t we make this a race? I’m sure it’s already a test. Give it our all, see who’s actually the best, and see how we can all improve.” 

Porco huffed and started walking a bit faster, not needing any more prompting. “Yeah, don’t hold back. I want to see how far behind all of you are compared to Marcel and I. This is officially a race as soon as we go back to jogging. The sprint will be the biggest part of it. Good luck to whoever wants to try and get third place.”

“Best of luck to everyone. No one is guaranteed to win a certain spot, and it’s best not to overshoot and jinx ourselves. Just try and find out how to improve.” Marcel mumbled. He didn’t seem to enjoy Porco speaking for him, nor did he indulge in the younger’s attitude.

As soon as the commander called a switch to jogging, they got back to it. Their paces were a bit more scattered now. Even Pieck seemed interested in keeping a faster paced jog. It was when they got to their sprinting that the distance really grew, showing just where everyone stood speed wise. 

Everyone worked hard, and by the end, Reiner and Pieck fell down, Porco and Zeke wheezing in breaths, Marcel, Y/N, Annie, and Bertolt all taking the water they were given. Zeke had been in first place, but only by a little bit, as Annie had gained on him quickly. Annie of course held second place. Somehow, she was the only one that wasn’t winded. 

Pieck had come up next, giving a final burst of speed towards the end to get her ranking. Y/N and Porco had tied, tripping over each other as they made it to the commander. Bertolt was fifth, having stumbled and fallen behind later on in the running. Marcel was sixth, and finally was Reiner. He had given too much in the beginning and that had made him fall behind near the middle.

Once they were given a moment to drink and catch their breath, Marcel chuckled a bit. “He wasn’t actually watching us that much. I just wanted to see how well you guys would do under that pressure. I have room to improve, and now I know just how big of a gap I have between where I am now and first place.”

He took a gulp of his water before going back to talking. He had everyone’s attention, only Porco’s seeming negative at the moment. “We can really help each other out by giving our all. And if we work together to get to a better level, we can all meet our goal eventually.” He smiled, a friendly look.

“What is it with you guys and friendship and helping each other and all that junk? Now Marcel is talking like that too. You guys all sound stupid. What happened to this being a competition?” A few of them laughed at Porco and his pouting words, choosing not to answer those questions he had asked. He’d figure it out for himself eventually.

The girls went back inside first to choose their shower room, and soon the boys were let inside so they could go get one, or eat their breakfast while they waited. It was simple porridge, already cold as it had probably been made when they were exercising. 

Marcel and Porco offered to shower together. They had been waiting fifteen minutes or so, so they only had about forty five minutes left. Because they were brothers, it wouldn’t be weird for them like it might be for the other boys. Zeke took the third shower room to himself. That left Reiner, Bertolt, and Y/N alone together. 

Reiner cleared his throat after a few minutes of silence. “Hey, your name was Y/N right?” He sat back in his chair. He spoke so awkwardly, but it was nice that he was trying to start a conversation. Y/N nodded and crossed his arms as he sat across from the blonde and quiet brunette. 

“Right, well, I was rude to you yesterday and didn’t have much of a reason to snap at you. So I just wanted to give you a short apology and hope we can continue as allies. After thinking over your reasoning for sounding so selfish, I realized I shouldn’t have been so quick to assume. So, I’m sorry.” He looked embarrassed to admit to being wrong.

Y/N assumed that Bertolt had helped him come up with the apology, because Reiner received a pat on the shoulder from him. Y/N seemed to contemplate the apology. It made Reiner look uncomfortable, and he found that a bit amusing. Well deserved as well. He let out a long sigh and crossed his legs, uncrossing his arms to stir around the porridge in front of him. 

“I suppose I can accept your apology. You didn’t know any better anyways, so I can’t blame you. I’m sure your parents programmed you to think that way. So, can’t blame you too much. Maybe just a little bit, since you do have a brain of your own.” He punctuated his sentence with a bite of his food, listening as Reiner sighed in relief. 

“We have about thirty five minutes left, so I suggest two of you go together, just to make time. Pieck and Annie are done, they’re just drying off their hair. Marcel and Porco aren’t quite finished yet though. Don’t make a big fight out of who goes with who either. We need to seem professional. The soldiers will like us more if we are.” Zeke walked in, his pants already on. He was smart to take them with him so he’d only have to worry about his shirt.

“I want to shower on my own. I don’t feel that comfortable with either of you yet. No offense. Plus, you two are already friends, so it shouldn’t be an issue.” Y/N said, wiping his mouth off on his sleeve. “You two can take the shower Zeke came from. That way you have more time, since there's two of you in there.” Bertolt and Reiner glanced at each other and then at Y/N. Bertolt gave a small nod first.

“Alright, makes sense, and it’s fair. Get your shower stuff and pants Reiner.” He got up and swiftly grabbed his own. He took charge, despite his quiet personality. He probably observed things. He seemed like the kind that prefers doing that. Reiner took a final bite of his food and followed after Bertolt. Zeke had thrown his shirt on and was shoveling food into his mouth on his bed.

Y/N took a few more bites of the poor tasting food before setting it aside and getting his things ready. He couldn’t be picky with his meal, it was eat or don’t eat, and despite the taste, he needed food. Be grateful for what you have, but be able to criticize it. Or something like that. Once the girls stepped into the room, he stepped out, headed to the shower. He knew he had time. 

Zeke had taken about ten minutes, and the girls together had taken about twenty five. Porco and Marcel had been taking about thirty minutes so far. That meant he had thirty minutes in all. But he wanted some free time to relax before they cleaned everything up. He washed down and stayed under the warm water. It had been a little while since he had gotten a hot water shower.

It felt nice, and he couldn’t help but give himself a few more minutes to enjoy it. Everyone else had probably done the same as well, so it’s not like he could be scolded. When he shut off the water and stepped out into the colder air, he shivered and quickly dried off. The sooner he had his clothes on, the better. 

Once all of that was over and done with, he ran his fingers through his hair, getting out any possible big knots before brushing it out with his brush. He looked into the mirror, making sure everything was just right before picking up his armband. He stared at it for a long moment, turning it in his hand. A simple piece of fabric held too much weight in his mind. He put it on and left the bathroom. 

When he walked into the room, he was met by the sound of happy talking. Everyone seemed less tense, besides Zeke. Porco wasn’t being rude to anyone, smiling in fact. Marcel was laughing, perhaps a joke was told. Pieck had a soft smile on her face. Annie still had a straight face, but she was braiding Pieck’s hair back. If they were under different circumstances, they’d look like a normal group of friends having fun.

It was better than an argument. And it was nice to see them all getting along for now. Getting comfortable with each other would come in handy eventually. Y/N went and sat by Annie, noticing she had motioned him over. He watched her braid the hair. “You know, I can consider this my first lesson from you.”

“Think so? What else do you plan on learning from me? This isn’t a very important skill. Unless you plan to grow your hair out, or plan to somehow have kids before you die.” She stayed focused while she braided, and Y/N clicked his tongue lightly.

“Not sure what else I can learn, but I’m sure you have plenty of things you could teach. You probably have plenty of experience with many things. You’re smart, even if you are younger.” She shrugged, but a small smile graced her face. He was just glad he had gotten that out of her. A small achievement for him and their soon to be friendship.

Soon enough, their commander dropped off the cleaning supplies. Reiner and Bertolt had managed to make it in right before the commander and had just thrown themselves into the empty chairs. They didn’t look natural at all, and everyone had to hold back a laugh at how dorkish they acted. When the commander left and the door shut, they did indeed laugh as Reiner and Bertolt let out sighs of relief.

They had a brief ‘meeting’, deciding who would be doing what job. They would all make their own beds, Zeke would dust because of his height advantage, Bertolt would wipe down any surfaces, Marcel would sweep the main room, Porco would clean a bathroom, as would Pieck and Annie, and Y/N would be doing laundry with Reiner.

Reiner and Y/N go outside after grabbing what was needed for the laundry. The buckets already had the water in them. They stayed quiet while they walked, Y/N unsure of whether or not he should start a conversation with him. There wasn’t much to do, as it was only sixteen outfits, but it’d still take most of the time they had to spend on cleaning. They split the clothes in half.

Y/N helped Reiner get the soap into the water at a good amount, making sure he knew how to use the washboard before getting started on his own. The only sound between them was the sound of water sloshing around. Reiner broke the silence by groaning, holding a pair of underwear in front of himself.

“Ugh, this is so indecent, don’t you think? The girls should’ve done the laundry instead of us. They wouldn’t be bothered by this.” He swung it around and stretched it, acting as most ten-year-old boys did. He shot them like a slingshot. Y/N grabbed them before they could fly past his head.

He scowled at Reiner, reaching into the other’s basket and getting out any other clothes that were worn by the girls. “It’s not indecent, you’re just acting like a child. You might be young, but have some class, you’re training for the military, aren’t you? Grow up. It’ll make you more tolerable.”

The tips of the younger’s ears turned red with embarrassment. He had been so sure that Y/N would find it funny. Looks like he had miscalculated. Y/N just went back to scrubbing the clothes clean, wringing them out and setting them in a second basket. 

Reiner didn’t make any more ‘jokes’ as they kept going. He took some clothes from Y/N when he ran out, behaving himself. Once they were done, Y/N hung up the clothes on the line while Reiner held the basket for him. They finished with time to spare and parted ways once they put away their own supplies.

Reiner helped Marcel finish with the sweeping. While he did that, Y/N went to help with one of the bathrooms. He ended up helping Pieck. Bertolt was helping Annie and Zeke had taken over Porco’s job, showing him how to do it because the kid had somehow made a mistake.

“You did a good job so far, hardly anything for me to help with.” He complimented as he walked in, taking care of wiping down the mirror to start off. “You know, I didn’t expect to be done with laundry so soon. Reiner was making jokes and acting disgusted because of some underwear.” Pieck looked over and laughed.   
“Really? I didn’t expect him to do something like that, it sounds like he was acting like the little kid he is.” She wiped off the last bit of cleaner from the toilet seat. “Maybe I’ll do laundry with you next time. Switch jobs with him and keep that from happening again.” He moved away so she could rinse the rag she was using off, putting it in the bin. 

“You’d probably be better at it than he is anyways, so sure, if you can talk him into taking bathroom duty tomorrow. You’re interesting, and so I think we could probably have some nice conversations as well.” He gave her a small smile, rinsing out his rag as well. She nodded, a smile on her face as well.

“We should get to know each other better. Of course, we can do that when we do chores together, but we could get a headstart too. We have lunch and break together, the perfect time to talk. Spend the few hours before then thinking over questions for each other. It’d be nice. You’re enjoyable to have a conversation with.”

He wasn’t very much against it, but he thought it through. It was an important decision because he needed to make sure he got close to the right people. She wouldn’t be a bad person to get to know. She would probably be the best at calming down situations, and she could back him up in an argument.

“Sure, that sounds nice. We’ll probably mostly talk during the break, I want to be able to eat all of my lunch before we talk. That way we won’t run out of time and be hungry until dinner.” She nodded and they headed back to the room together. Y/N set the bucket of supplies with the rest on the table.

Annie had taken care of the dishes when she had finished with the bathroom, coming back in and taking off her gloves, tossing them into the trash. They worked around each other to make sure their beds were made. Zeke helped out when it came to tucking in sheets on the top bunks.

“Alright, the commander will be in here soon. To avoid dirtying the room, stand up against walls and wait. Salute when he comes in until he tells you otherwise.” He advised, standing by the wall, tucking his hands into his pockets.

Their new outfits were standard white uniforms, the yellow bands on their arms. The Eldian bands. They kept the same boots they had started their morning with on. They were all lined up soon enough, waiting patiently for what was to come next. The judgment, and then the next step of the day.


End file.
